Device for operating



(No Model.)

0. W. SQUIRES. DEVICE FOR OPERATING RAILWAY SWITCHES.

No. 595,083. Patented Dec. 7, 1897.

UNiTnn STATES PATENT @rricn.

CHARLES \VM. SQUIRES, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETS.

DEWCE FOR OPERATING RAILWAY-SWITCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,083, dated December'7, 1897.

Application filed November 5, 1896. Serial No. 611,115. (No model.)

To aZZ 21/77/0777, it 72mg concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES WM. SQUIRES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inDevices for Operating Railroad-Switches, of which the followingis afull, clear, and exact descrip tion.

My invention relates to improvements in devices for operating railroadswitches in which certain mechanism lying adjacent to and beneath theplane of a road and attached to the switch-point is operated by somedevice or attachment on the car as the car passes over; and the objectsof my improvement are to provide a novel, positive, and efficient meansof throwing the switch-point, rendering the operation of saidswitch-moving device easier, and to more thoroughly provide a mechanismwhich will be most certain to operate and which shall be unaffected bythe presence of snow, dirt, Sac.

I am aware that numerous switch devices have been invented many of whichhave been operated by some device on the car acting on one or morelevers or pins having a point of contact slightly above the plane of theroad, said levers or pins directly or indirectly moving the switch-pointin the desired direction as the car passes over. Experience has shownsuch switch-moving devices operated by an attachment on the car to bemore or less faulty from the fact that such appliances attached to andoperated from the car are uncertain in their action. I therefore proposeto move the switch-point by means of the car-wheel passing over the endofa lever, thereby operating certain intermediate mechanism when saidmechanism is in operative position, and use an appliance attached to andoperated from the car in conjunction with certain devices having a pointof contact slightly above the plane of the road for simply determiningwhat shall be the action of said mechanism.

It is intended, of course, to have the switchoperating device properlyprotected by a cover with suitable apertures for the contact members toprotrude; and myinvention consists in combinations or arrangements ofparts all substantially as will hereinafter fully appear, and be setforth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing the figure is a perspective view of theentire mechanism lying beneath the plane of a road-bed.

In the drawing, 1 represents a base structure or support comprisinguprights or standards 2 2 and 4; and understood as located in asuitably-protected excavation therefor below the road'bed.

15 represents the track-rail at and adjacent one side of the switch, 11being the pivoted switch-tongue, as usual.

5 represents a rock-shaft ranging longitudinally, mounted for itsrocking action in the aforesaid standards 2 2 and having at its one endthe crank-arm 9, to and between which and the switch-tongue is connectedthe c011- necting-rod 10, whereby when the rock-shaft is rockedineitherdirection the switclrtongue will be correspondingly swung.

The rock-shaft 5 has at its end farthest from the crank -shaft 9 theoppositely-extended radial arm or crank-like members 0 6, each with thestud or extension 8 8.

12 represents alever hung between its ends, but nearer the one end thanthe other, by the pivot in the standard 4:. The long arm of this lever12 is extended into proximity to the end of the aforesaid rock-shaft 5,011 which shaft are provided the double crank members 6 6, having thesaid studs or catch members 8 8, while the other and short arm 16 ofthis lever has its position in proximity to the rail 15, so that theflange of the wheel of a passing car will swing the lever, therebydepressing the short arm and raising the long arm and with the latteralso raising the depending tongue A, which is pivoted on the end of thesaid lever, and which depending pivoted part A has thereon the twooppositely-extending members 0 0, each with the stud B, which projectsin a direction parallel with the length of the said rock-shaft 5. Thesaid members 0 C, when the wheel-operated lever 2 is in its normalposition, have their position below and between the aforesaid studs ormembers 8 8 at the adjacent end of the rock-shaft 5.

D represents a second rock -shaft also mounted for its rocking bearingin the aforementioned standards 2 2, having at its end adjacent theWheel operated lever 12 the downturned crank-like arm E, which whenswung as the shaft D is rocked will contact against the one or the otherof the studs B and swing in the one direction or the other the aforesaidtongue A, whereby the one or the other of its members 0 G will be inposition to engage the proper one, as desired, of the projections 8 8 onthe arms 6 of the crankshaft 5. The said rock-shaft D has also thereonthe double crank F, the arms of which are extended normally more or lessnearly horizontally, and each of the crankarms comprised in the part Fis provided with the upwardly-extending projection or stud 13 to becontacted against from the car, it being understood that the car mayhave provided thereon any of the numerous kinds of devices to be thrustdownward by the driver or motorman as common in switchoperatingmechanisms.

As a matter of fact, the rock-shaft D may be operated in any waydesired, the means for operating it forming no part of the invention.

The rock-shaft D and its adjuncts are understood as constituting adevice for setting the switch-operating mechanism, so as to be, aspredetermined,operated to shift the switch point or tongue in thedesired direction, and all according as the right-hand or thelefthandprojection 13 is contacted against and depressed.

In operation the rod D is rocked by the suitable means, its arm Eswinging against one of the pins or studs B, according to the directionthe shaft D is rocked, one of the hooks or catch members 0 beingpresented in engagement with one of the pins 8 on the rock-shaft 5,which is connected with the switch-tongue. The mechanism will now shiftthe switchtongue so soon as the car-wheel comes upon the short arm ofthe power-lever 12 to elevate the depending member A.

Of course if the switch is found as the car approaches it to be alreadyproperly set no action is required on the part of the driver or motormanto operate the setting devices of the switch-operating mechanism.

I claim- 1. The combination with the switch-tongue and the lever 12adapted to be moved by the wheel of a passing car, a rock-shaft 5 havinga crank-arm, and provided with the double crank 6, a connecting-rodbetween the first crank-arm and the switch-tongue, a part pivotallysupported on the said wheel-operated lever and having two members whichmay engage either of the members of the said double crank, and a rockingrod or shaft D having an arm which engages said part whichis pivotallysupported by the said wheel-operated lever and having the two memberswhich are extended to different positions relative to said rod D, allarranged for operation substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination with the switch-tongue and the lever 12 adapted to bemoved by the wheel of a passing car, of a rock-shaft- 5 having acrank-arm 9 and also provided with the double cranks, a connecting-rodbetween the first crank-arm and the switch-tongue, a part pivotallysupported on the said Wheel-operated lever and adapted to engage eitherof the members of the said double crank and a device adapted to beimpinged against from the car and serving to insure engagement betweensaid pivotally-supported part and one or the other of said crank-arms asthe lever is swung, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a device for operating railway-switches in combination, aswitch-point, a horizontal lever operated by the wheel of a passing car,a member movably mounted on and adapted to be shifted relatively to saidcar-wheel-operated lever, a mechanism intermediate 'between the saidlever and the switch-point having two parts of contact one or the otherof which may be engaged by said lever-supported pivoted member, andmeans actuated from the car for shifting said lever-supported movablemember whereby the latter will engage as the lever is swung, one or theother of the contact parts in the said intermediate mechanism,substantially as described.

CHARLES WVM. SQUIRES.

Witnesses:

F. E. CARPENTER, GEORGE A. DE LAMB.

